ACROSS the nation

DETROIT—First came the press, then came the upgrade to new prepress and platesetting technology. Crystal Clear Images runs a Heidelberg GTO press and wanted to update its workflow. Crystal and Anthony Mitchell, the husband and wife owners of the unionized shop, chose Heidelberg’s Prinect Printready prepress system and Suprasetter A52 platesetter.

“When people heard that we were installing Heidelberg (prepress equipment), the amount of business influx was incredible,” reports Crystal Mitchell, who began her career as a school teacher in graphic design, before starting her own business from the basement of her house in 1995.

The company, which has been operating out of its own building since 2000, produces banners, menus, business cards, UV-coated billboards and a variety of other business materials. It also prints various jobs for the city of Detroit and surrounding counties.

“We purchased the new stitcher because it had all the features of the very high-end machines, including a heavy-weight frame,” reports Alan McNeil, president. “It has already opened doors to new customers.”

CALIFORNIA

BERKELEY—Internet-enabled printing is now being offered at Krishna Digital, supported by its recent installation of a four-color, 20×28˝ Mitsubishi Diamond 1000LS press with aqueous coater.

ENGLEWOOD—A major investment has been made by Unique Litho in a new six-color Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 74 perfector with aqueous coater, a pair of two-color Printmaster QM 46 presses, a Suprasetter A74 platesetter and Prinect Printready prepress workflow with MetaDimension RIP, and a Stahlfolder TA 52 folder with knife-fold unit. A new Polar 92 X cutter is also scheduled for delivery.